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Greg Maddux Heads West To The L.A. Dodgers
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, MLB, News, Trades,
Greg Maddux started his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs and many thought in the twilight of his career, he was going to retire with the Cubs. Guess not. The Cubs sent Maddux out west to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who sent back SS Cesar Izturis. Maddux needed to waive a no-trade clause and gladly did because it would help the Cubs future. Whether or not the trade helps the Cubs, is something that is yet to be determined. But how will it affect Maddux and the Dodgers?
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Magazine Review: Grogan’s Fantasy Football Analyst
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Fantasy, NFL,
Alright football fanatics, we know you all have your office fantasy games ready to go, and you are checking stats like made hoping to walk away with the all-so-coveted parking spot that the winner walks away with. There are a bunch of magazine out there that aim to help you decide what you should do with your fantasy teams. Rather than have you go out and buy them all, hoping to walk away with victory, End Score reader Ben VanWinkle decided he would buy them, read them, and tell us what he liked - and didn’t like - about the publication. First up - Athlon Sports Grogan’s Fantasy Football Analyst.
It’s Fantasy Football draft time again and players everywhere are scrambling for the advice that will give them the edge in their league. Consumers have dozens of magazines to choose from – but which is the best? And more importantly which publication is right for your particular needs?
This series of article reviews several magazines on store shelves right now to help you decide. I’ll dissect each and describe its contents and unique features and advise on the kind of reader who might benefit most from it. I’ll let you know my impression of it – do I think it’s worth buying? Next January I’ll take another look at each and let you know how accurate they were in their forecasting.
Just in case it’s a factor in your decision to buy I’ve counted up the number of ads featuring scantily clad women and included that information in the header section of each review. Maybe that’s something you want to avoid—or maybe it’s a feature for you – either way the information is here.
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American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Editorial, MLB, News, Trades,
NEW YORK YANKEES
The Yankees pulled off a blockbuster trade acquiring right-fielder Bobby Abreu and starting pitcher Corey Lidle for four minor leaguers. Abreu’s presence will put an end to the right-field platoon of Bernie Williams and Aaron Guiel.
Abreu’s power is down from the previous two seasons and moving to Yankee Stadium will not help, as Citizens Bank Park is much better for lefty swinging power. He is still stealing bases, going 20 for 24 in that department. His contact rate of 75% is down from his usual 77% to 80%, but he making up for it with a higher than usual batting eye of 1.09, so there is some upside to his .277 batting average. He will see an increase in RBI opportunities.
Lidle is posting a career high K/9 of 7.04 this season and an acceptable 2.8 BB/9. His high 4.74 ERA is mainly the product of 19 home runs, which easily puts him on pace for a career high. With a 1.57 G/F ratio, the home runs will probably slow down and moving from Citizens Bank Park to Yankee Stadium will help. Pitching for a better team, Lidle could be a cheap source for some wins without doing too much damage to your ERA or WHIP.
Despite a lack of power, Melky Cabrera is proving to be a useful fantasy outfielder with a .278 batting average and 8 steals in 10 attempts. With a strong contact rate of 90% and batting eye of 1.12 there is some potential batting average upside. The 13 doubles and 2 triples hint at some power potential, but with a G/F ratio of 1.72 it won’t happen this year.
Andy Phillips is having a rough month of July batting .165, bringing his average down from .290 to .239. Phillips’ poor plate patience, .24 batting eye, and contact rate of 79% means that his average will likely stay in this area. With Abreu on board, Jason Giambi will DH less, with Bernie Williams and Aaron Guiel picking up AB there, severely cutting into Phillips playing time. He should not be owned in any format.
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Steve Smith Tweaks His Hammy
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Injuries, News, NFL,
Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith did not practice today, a day after straining his left hamstring running a route during training camp. This is not good news for the Panthers and their offense as Smith was a huge part of it in 2005 when he had 103 receptions for 1,563 receiving yards, and 12 TDs. After not having much of a supporting cast in the WR corp - Ricky Proehl and Kerry Colbert tied for second on the team in receptions with a very low 25 catches each - the Panthers signed Keyshawn Johnson during the offseason. Hamstring injuries are tricky as they can feel fine in a day or hamper you for the next few months. It remains to be seen how affected Smith’s left hammy is, but if Smith has to sit out camp, the team could have a serious problem on the offensive side. You can’t replace a Steve Smith.
Chase Utley Hits In 31 Straight Games
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, MLB, News,
If you haven’t noticed, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Chase Utley has hit in a month’s worth of games in a row. With a single in the sixth inning of the second game of the Phillies vs. Florida Marlins’ double-dip tonight, Utley extended his consecutive games with a hit to 31, which is the longest in the majors this season. The first record Utley should be aiming to break is the Phillies longest streak of 38 held by teammate and double play partner, Jimmy Rollins, who accomplished the feat at the end of the 2005 season and the early part of this season. After the organization record comes the Yankee Clipper, Joe Dimaggio’s record of 56 consecutive games with a hit.
Bobby Abreu And Cory Lidle To The Bronx
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, MLB, News, Trades,
Philadelphia Phillies OF Bobby Abreu and SP Cory Lidle are headed to the Bronx to wear the New York Yankees pinstripes. The Phillies in return will receive three minor leaguers that include SS C.J. Henry, the Yankees 2005 number one pick, C Jesus Sanchez, and P Carlos Monasterios. They will also get one major league player in lefty reliever, Matt Smith.
On top of acquiring Abreu and Lidle, the Yankees also inherit the rest of their 2006 salaries, plus Abreu’s 2007 salary. Lidle is a free agent after this season and is at best a servicable arm. Abreu is owed about $4 million for the rest of this season and due $15 million for next. It’s still a question whether or not the Yankees will exercise Abreu’s 2008 option for $16 million in order for Abreu to waive his no-trade clause or if the Phillies paid Abreu an amount for him to agree to be traded.
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Reggie Bush Is A Saint
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Editorial, News, NFL,
After a “short” two-day holdout, RB Reggie Bush is now an official member of the New Orleans Saints. The deal is for six years, but the financial compensation was not officially announced, although it’s rumored to be in the $55 million to $60 million range with a guarantee of about $26.3 million.
Bush and the Saints can only benefit from only a two-day holdout, as opposed to a long holdout and even rumored possibility that Bush sit out the whole season and re-enter the draft in 2007. With a new coaching staff, Bush needed to be in camp in order to maximize his performance this coming season.
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Floyd Landis Says It’s All Natural, But Is It Really?
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, News,
Today, at a press conference in Madrid, Spain, 2006 Tour de France winner, Floyd Landis told the media that the high levels of testosterone found in a drug test was the result of his natural physiology. At a Thursday teleconference, Landis did not know why high levels of testosterone showed up in his test, but had an answer the following day. Hmm… Landis was adamant that the back-up urine sample be tested to prove his innocence when this potential scandal broke out a couple of days ago. Now, Landis’ lawyer, Luis Sanz, is saying that the test will come out the same and not prove anything because of Landis’ naturally high testosterone levels. Hmm…
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Jay Cutler Signs With The Denver Broncos
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, News, NFL,
Jay Cutler, the 11th overall NFL Draft pick, signed a six year deal with the Denver Broncos that could be worth up to $48 million. Cutler was considered a talent before the 2005 NCAA season, but not anywhere near being an early first round pick. Despite an average season at Vanderbilt, Cutler’s name was making some real momentum after an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl and workouts at the NFL Combine where Cutler simply wowed scouts and coaches. With starting QB Jake Plummer on the decline, despite a resurgence (see: not throwing as many interceptions) in Denver in recent seasons, Cutler is an excellent understudy to eventually take the starting job for the Broncos. Cutler won’t be the second coming of John Elway, but he has more upside than Jake Plummer ever had. Look for Cutler to begin starting in Denver in 2007.
Vince Young Signs With The Tennessee Titans
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, News, NFL,
Vince Young, taken third overall by the Tennessee Titans in this year’s NFL Draft, signed a five year deal with a sixth year option for up to $58 million dependent on various incentives and bonuses. The contract carries $25.7 million in guaranteed money. The deal actually exceeds the contract of number one overall pick, DE Mario Williams of the Houston Texans in terms of overall monetary value. With all the hullabaloo about Texans’ fans wanting their hometown boy, Young, to be drafted only to get passed over by Williams, this is a bit of sweet revenge for Young in that he will potentially make more money than the number one overall pick.
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